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Mitsubishi Minicab
The Mitsubishi Minicab is a kei truck and microvan built and sold in Japan by Mitsubishi Motors since 1966. In Japan, it was sold at a specific retail chain called Galant Shop. An all-electric model, the Minicab MiEV, is sold in the Japanese market since December 2011. It was also sold by China Motor Corporation (CMC) in Taiwan as the CMC Varica, starting in 1985. 1st Generation The Minicab cab-over pickup truck was launched in 1966 to replace the 360, which by this time had adopted the same model name as the Minica sedan. It shared the sedan's air cooled two-stroke 359 cc engine, and came with cargo gates on three sides to simplify loading and unloading. In 1986 the van variant was introduced. 2nd Generation In 1971 the Minicab underwent its first model change, with the Minicab EL offering a new interior and a longer cargo bed. Ride quality was improved with the adoption of a front wishbone and rear leaf spring suspension. A panel van was added to the Minicab lineup in 1972, when it also became the Minicab W with the new watercooled 2G10 engine (hence the W'''). 3rd Generation In 1977, the third generation Minicab was introduced. In keeping with the changes in vehicle tax regulations, the Minicab Wide 55 featured an increase in both width and length, and adopted the enlarged 471 cc engine from the car line. It also incorporated new features like a windscreen defroster, a central console box and a central ventilation system. It continued until 1981, when Mitsubishi dropped "Wide 55" from the Minicab name as the market was now aware of the increase in body size and engine capacity. A rear window wiper, electronic locking rear gate and power brakes were adopted, and in 1983 the Flat-floor Van model adopted a double-walled construction to offer a flat, open cargo area. For some export markets, such as Chile, this version was known as '''Mitsubishi L100. In China the third generation was build and sold as both the Shenwei SYW 1010 and as the Wuling LZ 110. 4th Generation Further model range updates have been in parallel with the Minica, starting with the fourth generation's introduction in 1984. Although improvements were made to enhance the Minicab's commercial applications, the most noticeable changes were made to support personal leisure activities. Angular headlamps played an important role in the Minicab's styling, along with larger windows to improve visibility. Mitsubishi offered fifteen front- and four-wheel drive van model variations and ten truck variations. The fourth generation Minicab incorporated many class-leading features such as an automatic free-wheel hub adopted on all four-wheel drive models, while two-wheel drive models had a turning radius of 3.7 metres (12.1 ft). The estate models featured the first sliding sunroof in their class. In 1987, the Minicab became the first manufacturer to offer a supercharged kei car. In China the fourth generation Minicab was built and sold as the Wuling LZW 1010 for the commercial variants and the Wuling LZW 6330 for the passenger variant. Category:Mitsubishi Category:Pickup Trucks Category:Vans Category:Modern Category:Post-war Category:Kei Cars